We have had a Staff and Civ Com meeting over pizza but that didn’t really work out. Your idea of a social night sounds great but my ideas and help are not being responded to by the CO and I have not been asked down to the Cadets to pick up all the paperwork i.e. bank statements, bank books etc. I feel if I just go in, I will be avoided. I appreciate you are only hearing my side and you are quite right to say so. I come on here for advice as I am nearly in tears with the stress of it all. I have been asked, in the past, to join other groups as I am very pro active and like to get the job done. My worst flaw is patience which I don’t have a lot of. I probably don’t know the half of it? I can only say what I see and hear. I had a phone call about an hour ago telling me that someone from higher up has been called in and staff have been interviewed. I hope, so much that they can get back on track. With or without me, I only want the best for the Cadets.
You shouldn’t be getting the bank books statements etc. That should go to the treasurer and it is good practice the treasurer is someone NOT related to you.
As a suggestion you keep saying it is a new OC, and they were going to deal with the insurance. Perhaps they don’t have a up to date inventory maybe it would be something you and an other CivCom member
could help with.
It is complicated. We have a new Treasurer who is not on the bank Signature list at present. On my long to do list. I am, as I was initially the Treasurer. There are bills outstanding that are waiting to be paid. The Inventory has already been done by myself and 3 others.
I agree with daws1159 the priority right now would be to change the bank mandate and get the treasurer formally in post because you can then bring the finances upto date at least. That requires zero input from the Sqn staff and shouldn’t either. Depending on who you use it can be a real faff to sort it out - we use Barclays. Its taken us three months just to get two added onto the mandate and still awaiting two others so our new treasurer (they are one of them) can be formally put in charge of the account. Until then the ex-treasurer is still financially liable for it all if it went wrong which they are not too happy about given how long it is taking. Especially since they require an archaic method of ID confirmation! What has held a lot of it up in our case is a bank employee forgetting to sign the ID paperwork to confirm it is said person.
If someone from Wing is getting involved then that’s a step forwards for you all. I sincerely hope you can all resolve the problems you are facing there - both staff and committee.
I agree - from an OC’s perspective - it can get very stressful at times. I have come close to walking away on several occasions because of one reason or another - especially when I had a treasurer (many years ago now) who couldnt be bothered to turn up and didnt update the accounts for months. However when my cadets are achieving the stress is very much worth it - and the good far outweighs the bad. I hope you can all get to that place.
Is your motivation to benefit the squadron as a whole or for your son to get the most out of being a cadet?
Things may not be offered due to a lack of staff cover / transport as this box normally needs before offering to cadets.
If you have the time and inclination you may be better off becoming a CI and working to directly deliver to the cadets, rather than indirectly through fundraising etc.